The TECNO Spark 3 Pro is finally in my hands for review, 2 weeks after we announced its launch in Uganda.
The Spark 3 Pro is the better version in the Spark 3 series. Unfortunately, I won’t be reviewing the Spark 3.
The differentiator of the 2 phones is storage; while TECNO Spark 3 comes with a RAM of 2GB and storage space of 16GB, the TECNO Spark Pro has a RAM of 2GB and storage space (ROM) of 32GB.
The former costs Shs429,000 and the latter Shs489000.
I’m preparing a full review of this mid-level device. But first, let me walk you through how you’ll find it packed and the components in the box, and how it feels holding it.
What you’ll find
The Spark 3 Pro we received is Bordeaux Red in color and it came in an impressive, thick orange box.
On opening the box, my eyes landed on the shiny front of the device whose screen was covered with a labeled thin transparent paper. Same as the back end of the device.
The box has two sections; one that holds the phone and the other, below the phone, where you’ll find the Manual, which you’ll probably not use; a paper showing that your phone is warranted (remember this was increased to 24 months though in the box it indicates 12+1 months).
You’ll also find a SIM tray ejector pin, a USB cable and a plug, a screen protector and a rubber jacket to guard the back of the phone. And headsets.
Some of these components are supposed to be obvious, but why are we mentioning them? Well, some smartphone manufacturers like Xiaomi release phones without headphones so you’ve to buy them separately.
And by the way, the cheapest Xiaomi phone, the Redmi Go, costs Shs466,000, making it more expensive than the Spark 3 and slightly cheaper than the Spark 30 Pro.
Also, you’ll discover that the charger for this device is not USB Type C, implying you won’t enjoy the latest generation of a power cable. But for less than half a million, the charger you’ll find is also okay.
Switching on the phone
The process of launching the device is swift. On the way, you’ll be tasked to choose the type of security you prefer: there’s fingerprint (you’ll find the scanner in the middle of the top side of the rear of the phone), you can also use face unlock, or password.
Apps
In the TECNO Spark 3 Pro, you’ll find a number of preinstalled apps, even the ones you’d not expect to find like WhatsApp.
Others are Visha, created for video sharing, Fruit Frolic, created for games; Boomplay (music), a Notebook; Scooper, created to compete with Opera News; Calcare for locating customer service; Ignite; Hi Theme, for picking themes, PHX Browser, Palmstore for downloading apps and games. The Play Store is also there.
Remember, this smartphone operates on Android 9.0 Pie and HiOS 5.0, which is developed by TECNO.
When you launch the phone, a few hours into use, the software updates itself and more apps are introduced, for instance, Messenger, Facebook, Phone Master (for cleaning the phone), Google Drive, Recharge King, Chrome, Instagram, you’ll also get a video player and a music player, there is also Tecno Spot, which is some sort of social platform for Tecno users.
Spark 3 Pro hardware
One thing that TECNO has mastered is making its phone super light. When holding the Spark 3 Pro, the only thing that makes you feel like you are carrying something is its 5.75mm thickness that facilitates a firm grip.
Otherwise, the device is almost counter-book-paper light. It has a 6.2-inch HD display, 500 nit brightness, a 19:9 aspect ratio, a resolution of 1500:720 pixels and a screen to body ratio of 87.8% and a composite black glass plate.
The volume and power buttons are on the right when facing the screen and the dual sim card tray that also carries the external memory card is on the left. The bezels are thinner than for Spark 2, a notch holding two cameras (0ne for selfie and another for facial rec.) on the front and the back has two cameras and a flashlight.
Do we hate anything about the phone? Oh, yeah: there is a lot of bloatware and the fact that TECNO still wants us to use a Micro USB.
A detailed review of the device will be uploaded soon.
Related:
Xiaomi Redmi 7 launched in Uganda
Four factors that determined the success of Tecno in Africa
